Sherman a perfect fit for Kubiak

Published 5:30 am, Friday, September 7, 2007

There's no instruction manual for being a head coach in the NFL, and that's another reason Mike Sherman has been so important to Gary Kubiak.

"He has been invaluable," Kubiak said. "He has helped me see the big picture — special teams, defense, game day, everything. He's someone to bounce things off of offensively. He calms me down at times, makes me see things in a way I might not have seen them."

Their careers were in different places when Kubiak telephoned in early 2006 to ask for recommendations on the staff he was putting together with the Texans. Sherman had just been fired by the Green Bay Packers, and about the last thing Kubiak expected was a guy ready to jump back into coaching.

"I could tell he was down," Kubiak said. "I just said, 'I know you pretty well, and you're probably not going to want to sit around very long. If you want to coach, all you have to do is call me.' A couple of weeks passed, and he called. He said he was ready. It means a lot as an organization that he came here. He had a contract with Green Bay and didn't have to work. He came here to help us through a very tough deal. It says a lot about him."

Sherman said it was simpler.

"My wife kicked me out of the house," he said. "I was driving her crazy. I was trying to organize everything, and she didn't want me telling her how to run things. We have five kids, and she had been taking care of them for 24 years. Now I'm home, and I'm suddenly the expert."

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Whatever the reason, the two men say both have benefited from the other. Kubiak has had his difficult first two years made easier by a guy who has been down the road. Likewise, Sherman has benefited from seeing another way of doing things.

Kubiak hired Sherman as his offensive line coach, and perhaps the most amazing part of the story is how he poured himself into his new job.

Impressive drive

Even as Sherman fought through the disappointment of being fired, he worked relentlessly to be the best O-line coach he could be. His players praise him for his patience, knowledge and attention to detail.

Sherman's influence can be seen in a variety of others areas. For instance, personnel. Five former Packers are playing for the Texans. He has been a calming influence at times, too.

"I can think of a few situations after a game when I was about ready to blow my stack," Kubiak said. "He'd tell me, 'Calm down before you go in there. Gather your thoughts.' He'll say something like, 'Let's move onto the next one. We'll get it fixed.' He's a tremendous man. He's a great football coach and an even better guy."

Kubiak knows he got lucky. Without Sherman, now his offensive coordinator, he would have had to figure things out on his own in a job that's demanding enough in the best of circumstances.

Kubiak probably won't have him long. Sherman interviewed with the Arizona Cardinals last winter and probably will be on the short list of whatever openings come up. Aggies are whispering he might be their guy if things go south for Dennis Franchione.

At 52, Sherman would like another chance. He was 53-27 in Green Bay before things fell apart in his final season. When he gets another chance to coach, he believes he'll be more prepared.

'A learning experience'

"When I became head coach of the Green Bay Packers, I'd only been in the
National Football League
three seasons," he said. "It was a tremendous learning experience. I was extremely focused on the job at hand, and in those first couple of years, probably didn't share enough of my personality with the people. As time went on, I thought I was able to do that.

"In the beginning, I was so focused on the job. I could have been a little bit looser at times. You are who you are. I was a first-year head coach on the job. It became very consuming. If it's not, you're not going to be the head coach very long. ... It's a tremendous force that pulls you. You know you're being evaluated week to week on Sunday."

Sherman said his time in Houston has been valuable on a variety of levels. He said the opportunity to work with Kubiak has helped him grow.

"He's the most honest person you'll ever meet," Sherman said. "He's very straightforward with the players. He's just a very decent person. I've learned a lot being around him."

If things work out the way the Texans hope this season, that first conversation and all the ones that followed will be some of the dozens of reasons that a franchise got turned around. Stay tuned.